


Line After Line

by LaLainaJ



Series: Make Some Noise [129]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Banter, Co-workers, F/M, Rivalry, klarolineauweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-22 17:46:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12487340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/pseuds/LaLainaJ
Summary: Caroline considers Klaus her work frenemy and she's not pleased to find him reading her manuscript. Hopefully he didn't find the hero familiar.





	Line After Line

**Line After Line**

**(Prompt: Publishing House AU. Rated T. Title from "Book Club" by The Arkells).**

Caroline's just about to start yelling (or whisper yelling – they're at work and she's not an animal) because Klaus'  _feet_  are on her  _desk_.

She was beginning to think he had a death wish.

Caroline had googled the crap out of him (and then his family) when they'd become cubicle mates. From what she'd gleaned he'd grown up in a super fancy house, had probably had etiquette lessons and a stern Nanny to correct his behavior so there was no excuse for him treating her desk like an ottoman.

Other than the fact that he seemed to take great pleasure in being the most annoying person on the planet. At least with Caroline. Other people seemed to find him perfectly charming. A couple of the girls down in marketing were forever attempting to pump Caroline for info in hopes of snagging Klaus' attention.

Did he date often? How did he take his coffee? Did Caroline think he was the type who liked it when a woman made the first move? In the beginning she'd demurred, dodged. Eventually she'd just started making up amusing lies. At this point they thought Klaus was an avid lawn bowler who collected vintage picture frames.

She'd been tempted to offer her Great Gran's foolproof man catching strategy – less hair, more boobs – but she figured that wouldn't go over well. Gran had been married three times though so she had clearly been doing something right. Plus, he might  _think_  he was subtle but Caroline had noted that Klaus' eyes tended to dip whenever her necklines did

Caroline stands at the entrance to their workspace, fuming while Klaus pays her no mind. When she notices the manuscript in his hands, the one he's perusing with great interest, all biting words about his appalling lack of manners die on her lips.

It's _her_  manuscript.

That was  _not_  meant for  _his_  eyes.

She'd been planning on slipping it into one of the to-be read piles. The publishing house received stacks upon stacks of spec stories from hopeful authors every month. She, Klaus, and a handful of others were responsible for pre-reading them and separating out the ones that had potential.

Caroline was finally ready to share hers. She'd listed a pseudonym, had told herself that there was no harm in taking a shot – maybe she'd be rejected but that wouldn't be the end of the world. She'd just have to keep trying, improving.

She hadn't wanted  _Klaus_  to be the first one to get to it.

He'd read  _way_  too much into the fact that her hero  _kind of_  resembled him. Mostly physically but Caroline will admit that some of the snarky-one liners were things she imagined from his distractingly full lips. And  _maybe_  her hero had a few exasperating younger siblings. But that was all. Caroline hadn't even really done it on  _purpose_  but when there was a hot English dude in your space every day it was inevitable that the Earl in your historical romance ended up molded in his image.

That was her story and she was sticking to it.

She hastily smooths her face into a less panicked expression when Klaus glances up. No need to clue him into the fact that she didn't want him to read what he was reading. He delighted in being contrary so there's no way he'd willingly put it down. Tackling him and taking it by force was obviously out of the question since she was a  _professional_. "Do you mind?" she hisses. "You have a perfectly good desk less than three feet away. Rest your stupid hipster boots over there."

Klaus has the gall to smirk up at her, slouching down slightly in  _her_  chair, "I thought I'd help you out. It seems like you've fallen behind." He nods over the whiteboard where they keep a tally of the projects they've completed. Every month the loser was obligated to buy drinks and Klaus had narrowly eked out a victory two months running  _and_  was in the lead once more.

Did that kill her a little? Yes. Something Klaus knew very well.

"I think I picked an easy one, however. It's quite good. The dialogue flows nicely. The sex scenes need the most polishing."

Caroline tries not to obviously bristle. "What, did you skip ahead to the dirty bits?"

Klaus would never  _say_  'duh' but the look he sends her conveys it all the same.

"And what, exactly, is wrong with them?" It has come out a little sharper than Caroline had meant it to, more defensively, and Caroline hopes Klaus doesn't notice.

"This is for print, correct? If it were eBook only it would be fine, they're a bit more lenient about the racy elements there. "

Caroline feels her cheeks heat. That's  _so_  not what she'd been expecting him to say. "So you're saying it's too graphic?"  _Was_  it too graphic? Caroline hadn't thought so but, as much as she hated to admit it, Klaus  _was_  a good editor. She'd been dubious when he'd shown up, even more so when she'd found out that his father was kind of a big deal in the publishing world. Why he was choosing to do grunt work in New York City when he could join his older brothers in huge offices (propbably complete with sweeping views of London) was still a mystery.

"Mmm," Klaus hums in confirmation. "And it's perhaps a bit too… imaginative for a title in this division. Authors are only allowed to sneak in bondage sparingly, as you know."

That was true. She could maybe omit the ribbons. Perhaps have the hero instruct the heroine to hold on to the bed rails if she wanted to come? But then she'd have to rewrite the descriptions of the room. Lost in her own thoughts she barely registers Klaus saying her name. Caroline shakes herself, "What?"

His eyes narrow, "So you've started this one already? And here I thought I was doing a good deed."

Yeah, and that was suspicious. "Which is confusing to me, by the way. Why would you want to help me win? Don't you like free drinks?"

He shifts, so slightly she might not have noticed if not for the squeaky wheels of her chair. It's intriguing since Klaus was generally pretty unflappable, she's not certain he's even capable of being embarrassed. The quick glance down, the way he wets his lips before continuing tells her she might be wrong. "I do. I just thought you might as well."

"Of course I do. I have an entry level job and an insane rent payment every month. I occasionally consider accepting dinner invites from total creepers just to get a free meal."

"And would you consider  _me_  a 'total creeper'?"

He looks pained as he says the words and Caroline presses her lips together to keep from giggling. It takes a second for the meaning of his question to register. "What, what?" Did you just ask me  _out_?"

"Not quite though I'll admit that is my intent."

"Oh my god Klaus you are  _way_  too old to be annoying me because you  _like_  me."

"Initially it was just because it was fun," he confesses. "And then it became a habit. Your reactions are delightful."

"Yeah, I'll bet anger really brings out the blue in my eyes," Caroline quips, crossing her arms as she studies him. He seems sincere, invested in her response.

"Is that a no, then?" Klaus asks, his expression carefully blank.

Caroline takes a second to mull it over. She has to admit that she usually has a good time with Klaus once they're off the company premises. He  _is_  funny, even when they're trash talking and needling each other. And he  _had_  taken a semi-terrible book by a first time author who clearly thought women were brainless morons off her hands two weeks ago. Before he'd offered she'd been painfully close to banging her head against her desk. So he wasn't  _actually_  a terrible person hell bent on making her miserable.

And if she had to refine her sex scenes for a broader audience maybe it would be helpful to have some assistance. He'd read them and had some ideas about how they could be improved.

He already resembled her Earl and Caroline's bed  _did_  have a slatted wooden headboard.

They could experiment. Test out practical applications. For art.

"Tomorrow," Caroline says. "My outfit today is so not cute enough for a date."

Klaus eyes flit down her body taking in her fitted navy dress. "I would be happy to argue that point, love."

"Nope," Caroline chirps, before pointedly jerking her thumb in the direction of his desk. "You only say that because you've never been treated to a date dress. Now get out of my chair."

He unfolds himself and stands and Caroline takes in a sharp breath when she realizes how close he is.

How is it that she'd never noticed that he smells  _really_  good? They work in a freaking plywood shoebox. He gives her an infuriating little smile, like he knows what she's thinking. He's left her manuscript behind and Caroline snatches it up. "Wait, take this. I think it needs another opinion."

And, while she wouldn't say it aloud just yet, Caroline does trust Klaus's.

He takes the pages from her hands. "I'll bring it home with me. We can discuss it tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Caroline says, even though she begins internally panicking. Her in a date dress, Klaus with the charm turned up to eleven, discussing her book? Diving into details about the sex scenes? That could very well be a disaster for her self-control.

Or, Caroline thought optimistically, possibly an excellent research opportunity. Car sex could totally be translatable to carriage sex, right?


End file.
